Soaking drum and method of conditioning same for use



Sept. 15, 1931. J. K. HENCKEN 1,323,451

SOAKING AND METHOD OF CONDITIONING SAME FOR USE Original Filed Nov. 12, 1927 ZSheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Sept. 15, 1931. HENCKEN 1,823,451

SOAKING DRUM AND METHOD OF CONDITIONING SAME FOR USE Original Filed Nov. 12. 1927 2 Sheets$heet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN K. HENCKEN, OF BROOKLYN, YORK SQAI iING DRUM AND METHOD OF CONDITIONING SAME FOR USE Original application filed November 12, 1927, Serial No. 232,74 1. Divided and this aqplication filed January 8, 1931,

This invention relates to soaking drums and to a method of conditioning the same for use in oil-cracking processes.

eretofore coke that has collected by sedil' mentation in soaking drums employed in oilcracking processes has been removed in its entirety by breaking the same up, as with hammers, leaving the inner walls of the soaking drums bare and exposed to attack bythe hot liquid undergoing treatmentand by the hot gases evolved therefrom.

This invention contemplates a soaking drum having a protective lining on its inner wall composed of the material, namely, coke,

10' which heretofore has been removed in its entirety from such drums on the assumption that such entire removal was necessary; and the invention further conten lplates a method of producing such a. lining on the inner wall of a soaking drum for use'in oil-cracking processes.

According to this invention, heated petro' leum is introduced into and passed through the soaking drum, in he usual manner, with the result that the drum eventually becomes filled or substantially filled with a homogeneous and cohesive mass of carbonaceous material. Under ordinary procedure the next step would bethe cleaning out of this mass of carbonaceous material so as to entirely remove it and start over again with a completely cleaned drum. According to this invention, however, the removal of the carbonaceous material is confined to the inner 3 portion of the mass and a lining of substam tial thickness of this carbonaceous material is left on the inside of the drum. It has been found that a drum thus provided with an inner protective coating possesses substantial advantages over a clean or a cleaned drum, and that the coating or lining left according to this, ipyention is cohesive and substantiall'y refractory is not removed by the subsequgnt'ii se ot-th drum'-and permits a much longerand' better use of a drum thus lined than in the case of a clean or cleaned drum.

The present application is a division of my parent application Serial No. 232,744,

so filed November 12, 1927, which parent ap Serial No. 507,327.

plication matured into Patent No. 1,796,458, March 17,1931.

The accompanying drawings forming art of this application illustrate the proce are of removing carbonaceous material from the interior of a soaking drum so asto leave the protective inner lining or coating thereon according to this invention, and also illustrate a machine adapted for such purpose. The machine itself forms no part of the resent invention. but is described and claimed in my copending application above referred to.

Fig. 1 is a fragmental vertical sectional view of a soaking drum embodying this invention and showing in elevation a machine adapted for use in carrying out the method of this invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1'; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the machine taken on the line. 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view show ing in detail means for radially adjusting the hammering unit of the, machine. 7

Referring to the drawings, the-numeral 10 indicates a soaking drum, the vertical wall of which-is made up of one or more circular metal plates, having their overlappin margins secured together-by a plurality o rivets 11, thus forming a tight joint. The'lower end of the soaking drum is provided with the usual head 13, having an opening 14 formed therein and provided with a neck 15 through which access to the interior of the drum may be gained from the bottom thereof by removing the usual cover plate, not shown.

The machine, herein shown, which is adapted for performing the-final step in producing a soaking drum embodying this invention and by which the final step of the method of this invention may be carried out, is so designed that it may be introduced into the soaking drmn 10 through the neck 15, and includes a hammering unit 17 and a vertically adjustable support 18, which is adapted to be rotated, as well as elevated, as the coke deposit 16 is being partially re moved.

The hammering unit 17 includes a pair of motors 20, which are arranged in a parallel UK and spaced relation, and which may be of the water-driven turbine type. The rotors '21 of these turbines are connected to a common shaft 2'2. to which is secured a pair of discs 24 which are spaced apart a suthcient dis tance to receive thcrebetween a plurality of hammers 25 and '26. the hammers 525 being relatively short as compared with the ham mers 2t, for the reasons hereinafter more particularly stated. lbe hammers 25 and 96 are pivotally connected at their inner ends to the discs El and are free to assume radial positions to which they are swung by centrifugal'action as the turbines 20 are operated.

Fluid pressure from a suitable source. not shown. is supplied to the turbines '20 through an inlet conduit 27 and a pair of branch condnits '28. leading therefrom to inlet passages 29, formed in the housings ot the turbines 20 and commuuicating with HUZZlts Zltl. arranged to direct the fluid pressure against the buckets 3t of the turbine rotors. The spent. fluid discharged from the turbines 20 through branch outlets connected to the turbine housings and communicating with a common discharge conduit 33. The conduits E2 and 33 are suitably strapped or otherwise coupled together. and serve as a means for supporting the hammering unit 11' in various positions within the drum it) during the operation of such hammering unit. These conduits 27 and 33 are connected by yokes 2);, to an adjustable lever 36, pivotally connected intermediate a pair ot vertically disposed head plates 37, carried by a removable head or'coupling member 38. which is suitably connectedsto a rotatable and vertically adjustable plunger 39. This plunger 39 may extend downward into a casing beneath the drum l0. and is of such length that it may be elevated to such an extent as will raise the hammering units 17 to the uppermost 'end of the drum 10. Raising and lowering of the plunger 39 may be effected by hydraulic pressure or by any other suitable means, not shown, and said plunger may be so connected to a suitable source of power, not shown, as to effect. rotation thereof, in either or both directions.

Adj'ustmentof the. hammering uni't 17 radially from the longitudinal axis of the drum 10 may be made by an adjusting screw 40'. rotatably mounted in gusset plates 41, forming a part of the head 38 and arranged intermediate the upwardly extending head plates 37. This adjusting screw 40 carries on its scrmv-tluemled portion a follower 3 having pins 44 which project from its opposite sides and are adapted to operate within a pair of notches 45. tormed in the side members -11) of a yoke; carried at the lower end of the adjustable lever 36 and straddling the follower 43.

To the turbine housings are pivotally connected a pair of adjustable arms 46 which,

when extended as shown in Figure 2,?issume a slightly diverging relation. The outer ends of these arms 46 are cut away to receive a pair of rollers 47, which. when the arm 46 are extended as shown in Figure 2, assume such positions that the cutting edges of the lower hammers 2G operate. in advance of the rollers. upon .the coke to be removed. By this arrangement. the rollers 47 are adapted to engage the finished surface of the lining 48 of coke which is left in the drum 1t). and such rollers serve to limit the movement of" the hannnering unit 17 away from the long tudinal axis of the drum 10. with the result that once the hammering unit 17 is adjusted so as to leave a lining on the wall otthe drum of the desired thickness. such thickness may be uniformly maintained so long as such adju tment i not disturbed: and the rollers 47 are permitted to remain in contact with the tinished surface of the lining 48 as the hammering unit 17 is moved upwardly from one position to another towards the top of the ,drum 10. The arms 46'are connected to a pair of adjustable chains an. which pass through a plurality of guides 51 secured to the housings of the turbines 20. A pair of books 52 may be secured to the inlet conduit 27 in position to engage the chains 50 and hold them in their adjusted positions.

To remove so much of the. coke deposit. from a soaking drum as it is desired'to remove in accordance with this invention. the closure. not shown. for the neck 15 ot the soaking drum is removed. and. the hammering unit 17. with only the shorter hammers 25 attached to-the discs 24. is so adjusted by the. adjusting screw 40.j'as to assume a position in alignment with the opening 14. whereupon the plunger 39 is raised. thereby moving the hammering unit up into and through the neck 15. Rotation of the hammers is then effected by admitting fluid pressure to the turbines 520. After suitable speed of the hammers has been attained. the. hammering unit is pushed upward by raising the plunger 39. During the time the plunger is moving upward. it is also suitably rotated. As the hammering unit 17 is raised and rotated. the hammers will cuta round cavity in the mass of coke. as indicated in dotted lines A tter such cavity has been formed. the hammcring unit 17 is gradually moved a wa v from the longitudinal axis of the drum 10 by adjusting the screw 40. and the. plunger 39 is then gradually lowered. This movement of the hanunering unit will enlarge the original cavity to the extent indicatedin dotted lines It. After this larger cavity has been formed. the hammering unit 17 is moved by the s rew lob 40 back towards the longitudinal axis of the the neck 15. whereupon the longer hammers 26 are attached to the discs 24, and the arms 46, carrying the rollers 47, are attached to the turbines 20. The arms 46 are then attached to the hammering unit 17 and held in their dotted line positions by the chains 50; and the plunger is again raised so as to bring the hammering unit into the space provided within the cavity indicated by the dotted line B. which is ample to accommodate the hammers 26 as their extreme ends describe the circle indicated by the dot and dash line C. Rotation of the turbines 20 then is resumed by admitting fluid pressure thereto, and gradual rotation of the. plunger 39 is also resumed. \Vith the turbines 20 operating and with the plunger 39 rotating. the hammering unit 17 is elevated by the plunger 39.- and at the same time adjusted outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the drum 10 to an extent determined by the desired thickness of the lining of carbcaizu'eon material to be left upon the inner walls of the drum. whereupon out ard adjustment of the hammering unit is discontinued. he arms 46 are then lowered to their respective positions. shown in full lines in Figure 1. and the upward movement of the hammering unit is continued with the result that a avity is formed as indicated at I). This cavity is increa ed longitudinally of the drum 1() as the plun er 39 is gradually raised during the rotation thereof and-the operation (it the turbines. By thus op rating the turbines LT) and the plunger 39. all of the coke dep sit itl may he removed from the drum in with the exception of the protective lining 48 which is allowed to remain undi turbed by the hammers 26. since they are maintain d at a predetermined distance from the wall of the drum bv the rollers 47 as they travel over the finished surface of the lining. The thickness of the lining 48 may be varied to any degree depending upon the extent to which the hammering unit 17 is adjusted away from the longitudinal axis of the drum 10 before the arms 46 are lowered to their full line positions shown in Figure 1 tohring their rollera 47 into contact with the finished cylindrical portion of the lining 48. i As the coke is broken out by the action of the hammering unit. i' drops out of the drum through the neck 15 and may be carried away in any well known manner.

From the above. it will be appreciated that the machine described may be employed to expeditiously remove so much as it may be desired to remove of the coke deposits from soaking drums and to leave protective linings of undisturbed coke of any desired thickness. sufficient to protect the walls of the drums from chemical attack by hot oil and by vapors that are evolved therefrom sluring the driving out of volatile constituents of the oil, and also of sufficient thickness to protect the heads of the rivets 11 against the hammering action incident to the cleaning operation.

What is claimed is:

1. A soaking drum conditioned for use in an oil-cracking process and having a metallic wall provided on its inner face with a lining of substantial thickness comprising a mass of cohesive carbonaceous material which is the remainder of a larger mass of cohesive carbonaceous material previously deposited on said inner face and of which a portion has been removed.

2. A soaking drum conditioned for use in an oil-cracking process and having a metallic wall provided on its inner face. with a lining of substantial thickness comprising a. mass of coke which is the remainder of a larger mass of coke previously deposited on said inner face and of which a portion has been removed.

3. The method of conditioning soaking drums for use in oil-cracking processes which consists in depositing a cohesive mass of carbonaceous material within the drum. and theratter removing only the central portion of such mass leaving on the inner wall of the drum :1 lining composed of the unremo cd portion of the carbonaceous matcrial as a permanent element of the conditioned drum.

4. The method oi" conditioning soaking drums for u e in oil-cracking processes which consists in depositing a cohesive mass of carinnocuous material within the drum. and thereafter removing only a portion of such mass leaving on the inner wall of the drum a lining composed of the unrcmovcd portion of the carlmnaceous material a a permanent element of the conditioned drum.

3. The method of conditioning soaking drums for use in an oilcracking process which consists in retaining a heated hydrocarbon oil within the drum a sullicient length of time to efi'ect the formation of a cohesive mass of carbonaceous material within the drum in contact with the wall thereof, and thereafter removing only a portion of such mass leaving on the inner wall of the drum a lining composed of the unrcmoved portion of the carbonaceous material as a permanent element of the conditioned drum.

In testimony whereof. I have afiixpd my signature to this specification.

JOHN K. HEJCKEN. 

